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Homeschooled Youth Fill Slate of State 4-H Officers

The 4-H Program in North Carolina marked a first this year when 4-H youth from across the state met in Raleigh at 4-H Congress and elected four homeschooled 4-H members as their state officers. This is the first time that all four officeholders are homeschooled. Nathan Barrick, president, Forsyth County, Hannah Davis, vice-president, Carteret County, Dallas Perry, secretary-treasurer, Alexander County and Luke Hill, reporter, Bladen County, will lead more than 235,000 young people between the ages of five and nineteen who participate statewide each year with the help of 21,500 adult and youth volunteers. The 4-H program is the youth education program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State universities. This year more than 560 4-H’ers, volunteer leaders and NC Cooperative Extension agents attended 4-H Congress.

Hundreds of homeschooled 4-H youth in our state have gained rewards from 4-H participation. In this article, we will spotlight 4-H award winners whose families are members of NCHE.

CIA 4-H Acoustic Band

Alamance County. Sarah Kenney and Nathan Troxler competed in the Application, Interview, Resume and Essay contest and were awarded trips to National 4-H Congress in November in Atlanta, GA. Sarah was a state bronze Cumulative Record winner in Personal Development, ages 13-15. Elizabeth Kenney received a state silver for her Cumulative Record in Personal Development, 13-15. She also received District Gold Project Record awards in Citizenship and Civic Education, 11-12, and in Healthy Lifestyles, 11-12. Nathan Troxler won a District Silver Project Record award in Environment and Natural Resources, 13-15.

Alexander County. Elected state secretary-treasurer 2012-13, Dallas Perry was also a first place state Cumulative Record winner in Expressive Arts and a Gold District Project Record winner in Communication Arts. Caleb Gilreath placed second statewide out of eighty youth in 4-H Shooting Sports Tournament, Junior Rifle Sporter Division. His team won first place in the state.

Brunswick County. Members of the Hickman’s Crossroads 4-H Club Darby Dawkins, Carlyn Clark and Camden Clark were awarded first place in the state 4-H Horticulture Contest The team placed sixth overall in the national competition in October in Wisconsin.. Darby Dawkins placed fifth in individual scores and won national awards, Grand National for her photo, “Monarch on Lantana” and Outstanding Award for “Beautiful Pollinators.”

Caswell County. Rachel Rudd was elected reporter for North Central District and was awarded a $300 Ned Richardson Scholarship at the Pittsylvania-Caswell Livestock Show and Sale. Lydia Rudd is a gold project record winner and received a state gold award for her 4-H Presentation in Bugs and Bees, ages 11-13.

Forsyth County. The Trailblazer Teens 4-H Club won a state gold group award and a Bronze Overall in the state 4-H Project implementation with the theme “Hungry to Help.” Hosanna Gourley won a silver award in the Individual state 4-H Project implementation and silver in the Overall competition. Club secretary, Allison Wise, chairs the club’s volunteer work at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. At State Congress, Laura Hutchins was inducted into the state 4-H Honor Club, one of the highest honors a 4-H’er can achieve. She also competed in the AIRE contest and won a trip to National 4-H Congress in November, where she has been asked to lead the delegation in singing the National Anthem. Laura is a bronze ambassador and received a 4-H Achievement Award.

In addition to his election to the State Council, Nathan Barrick competed in the Application, Interview, Resume and Essay process and won a trip to the National 4-H Conference in Chevy Chase, Maryland in April, 2013. He also received the 4-H Citizenship and Community Development Trophy and was the recipient of the $1000 Jane K. Stuart 4-H Scholarship. He was a Youth Voice Summit delegate and a Citizenship Focus delegate. Nathan is a silver level Ambassador and performed at 4-H Congress with his club, the Carolina Inspirational Artists, in their Acoustic Band which performed at four 4-H events.

Seven youth from Forsyth County won gold medals. Among them were Allison Wise in Bugs and Bees, 14-18, Alex Arrowood in Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, 11-13, Hope Arrowood in Forestry and Wildlife, 11-13, and Austin Wise in Careers and Entrepreneurship, 11-13. Samuel Barrick was awarded a state silver medal in Horticulture Production and Marketing, 13-15. Thirty-three Forsyth County youth attended District Activity Day in June to compete for medals and awards. Gold medalists included Nathan Barrick in Expressive Arts and Communications and Andrew Pledger in Horticulture Production and Marketing, 11-13. Silver medalists were Grant Wise in Science and Technology, 11-13, and Isaac Hanna in Careers and Entrepreneurship, 11-13. Luke Arrowood was a Cloverbud participant in the 5-8 year old division. In the Clothing Competition, Allison Wise was awarded second place in ages 14-18, and Laura Hutchins won third place in the 14-18 age division. Seth Barrick provided the sound for the awards ceremony and for the clothing competition and modeling event. Blue ribbon winners in 4-H Entertains were Brandon Joyce, who performed a piano solo and the Carolina Inspirational Artists Acoustic Band that provided entertainment with “A Tribute to Chicken Bob.” Members of this group included Nathan and Seth Barrick, Jadyn, Lindsey and Sidney Hooker, Carlee and Neil Tesh, Alex and Hope Arrowood and Andrew and David Allen Pledger.

Forsyth County had a total of twelve Cumulative Record winners this year. State gold winners were Justyn Joyce in Personal Development, 16-18, Hope Arrowood in Expressive Arts, 13-15, and Nathan Barrick in Citizenship and Community Service, 16-18. State silver awards went to Samuel Barrick in Plant and Horticultural Science, 13-15, David Allen Pledger in Health and Safety, 13-15, and Lindsey Hooker in Expressive Arts, 16-18. State bronze winners were Samuel Barrick in Citizenship and Community Service, 13-15, Brandon Joyce in Expressive Arts, 16-18, and Hope Arrowood in Plant and Horticultural Science, 13-15. Sydney Hooker won a District silver award in Expressive Arts, ages 13-15, and Brandon Joyce was awarded a District Bronze in Citizenship and Community Service. Twenty-four youth won medals in District Project Records this year. In the Citizenship and Civic Education division, Austin Wise and Grant Wise both won silver awards, and Brandon Joyce won a bronze medal. In Communication Arts, Nathan Barrick, Lindsey Hooker, Hope Arrowood and Jadyn Hooker won gold medals, and Sidney Hooker received a silver award. In Consumer and Family Science, Grant Wise and Allison Wise received gold medals, and Hope Arrowood was awarded a silver medal. In the Environment and Natural Resources category, Alex Arrowood and Samuel Barrick won gold awards, and Austin Wise received a silver. David Allen Pledger was awarded a gold medal in Healthy Lifestyles, and Andrew Pledger won a bronze award. The two gold award winners in Personal Development and Leadership were Allison Wise and Austyn Joyce. Nathan Barrick was awarded a silver medal, and Brandon Joyce received a bronze. Andrew Pledger won a silver award in Plant Science.

The County Talent Show held in May was popular with Forsyth County youth and had twenty-five performing acts, five fashion entries and sixty-one non-performing talent and art entries. The overall winners were the Creative Inspirational Artists Acoustic Band. Second place went to Josiah Gourley, and third place was won by Brandon Joyce. Blue ribbon winners in the County Nutrition Fair included Luke Arrowood, Brody Grimm, Lexi Grimm, Isaac Hanna, Andrew Pledger, David Allen Pledger, Stephen Pledger, Hannah Upchurch and Grant Wise. Blue ribbon winners and Best Presentation awards went to Hannah Troutman, Alex Arrowood and Hope Arrowood. Blue ribbon winner and Best Taste award went to Allison Wise. Andrew Pledger received a third place in the state Poultry Poster Contest winner in the 9-10 age division. County youth who won Judge’s Choice awards at the Dixie Classic Fair were Samuel Barrick with handmade flowers, Grant Wise with an Energy and Power Technology Project and Luke Arrowood with his sculpture. In the 4-H Fair Booth competition, the Trailblazers 4-H Club won second place, and the Trailblazer Teens received fourth place. The Trailblazer Teens also won second place in the Christmas Tree competition. In the County Photography Contest a number of youth were recognized. Alex Arrowood received an award in the “4-H in Action” category. In the “Nature’s Beauty” division, Jadyn Hooker, Paiten Iselin, Alex Arrowood, Sidney Hooker, Lindsey Hooker and Brandon Joyce received awards. Those who were recognized in the “Lines” category were Paiten Iselin, Alex Arrowood, Samuel Barrick and Lindsey Hooker. Nathan Barrick was awarded first place in the Operation Military Kids contest in the “Honoring Our Heroes” artwork. Samuel Barrick received a second place in the OMK “Military Life” artwork and third place in the OMK “Honoring Our Heroes” photography.

Guilford County. Israel Farnham was awarded the 2012 Huddleston 4-H Electric Academic college scholarship. Israel was a state gold Cumulative Record winner in Leadership, ages 16-18. His District Project Records were awarded gold medals in Citizenship and Community Service, 16-18, and Science and Technology, 16-18. Mia Farnham was awarded a state gold medal in Public Speaking, ages 9-10, and won First Place statewide in the Water Conservation Poster Contest.

Lincoln County. Emma Isom was inducted in the state 4-H Honor Club at 4-H Congress this year, which is one of the highest honors a 4-H member can achieve. She won second place in the state Poultry Judging Contest and attended the National Egg and Poultry Contest for the NC Avian Bowl Team in Kentucky in November this year. She also attended state Electric Congress and placed second in the Territorial Electric division, ages 13-15. Emma won a District gold medal for her Project Record in Animal Science, 13-15, and a District silver award in Leadership and Personal Development, 13-15. She serves as Lincoln County Historian. Michael Stines, a member of the 4-H Animal Science Club, had the experience last year of raising a dairy steer and showing at the Cleveland County Fair for the first time. He was awarded first place in Showmanship and second place for Junior Steer.

Transylvania County. Ana McArtney has been awarded the Dr. David and Carol Burnette Scholarship, a college scholarship given to a 4-H member in the West District. Georgia McArtney received a District silver medal for her 4-H Project Record in Consumer and Family Science, ages 13-15.

For more information about 4-H and the opportunities that it offers youth, contact your local county Cooperative Extension Service. Visit http://www.nc4h.org for a list of county offices.

Claudia Whitaker is a longtime member of her local county 4-H Advisory Board and the Forsyth County Extension Advisory Council. For fourteen years she and her husband Frank homeschooled their children Ellen and Vance. Both of them now have their own families and are homeschooling their children in Raleigh and Tampa.